The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) unveiled a national historical marker at the centuries-old Kumbentong Agustino ng Mandaluyong at Don Bosco Technical College, recognizing the historic site’s role in the religious and national history of the Philippines.
NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr. presented the marker during its unveiling on September 28 at the Mandaluyong campus, where the historic structure has stood through successive periods of Philippine history. The NHCP records the site’s beginnings in 1669, with the structure later rebuilt and expanded using materials from a stone house between 1702 and 1716.
Among the events associated with the site was the August 19, 1896, disclosure of the Katipunan’s secret by Teodoro Patiño to Augustinian priest Rev. Fr. Mariano Gil, an event identified in the NHCP historical marker as contributing to the early outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.
The structure later served as an orphanage known as Asilo de Mandaluyong and, after the Archdiocese of Manila acquired the property in 1913, became San Carlos Seminary from 1913 to 1953. The administration of the building was subsequently entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Rev. Fr. Bernard Nolasco, SDB, rector of the historic convent, said the Salesians will continue efforts to repair and preserve the structure, including plans to develop it into a museum.
“Una, ang commitment namin ay hindi ’to masira. Aayusin ang dapat i-repair at magiging museo ito sapagkat hindi lang ito bato; ito’y buhay na bato. May istorya, may kasaysayan,” Father Nolasco said in an interview with Radyo Veritas.
Father Nolasco emphasized that preserving the building also means making its history accessible to younger generations. He said the site’s history can help young people recognize the connection between the history of the country, the Church, and their faith:
“Sa mga kabataan, nakikita nila na may halaga ang kasaysayan ng buhay ng ating bayan, ng buhay ng Simbahan, at ng buhay ng kanilang pananampalataya.”
The site’s educational legacy also continued under the Salesians. The school’s history records that Don Bosco Technical Institute–Mandaluyong opened on June 2, 1953, with 47 first-year high school students, eventually developing into Don Bosco Technical College and making the historic structure part of the institution’s continuing work in the formation of Filipino youth.
NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr. noted that despite the site’s historical significance, it remains relatively unknown to many people in Mandaluyong and Metro Manila.
“Lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, sa apat na sulok ng Don Bosco Technical College dito sa Mandaluyong ay natatago ang isang pamanang masasalamín sa kasaysayan nito,” Jose said.
Jose also said the historical marker should increase public awareness and encourage greater participation in protecting the country’s historical heritage.
“Nawa’y ang panandang pangkasaysayan na ito ay magdulot ng pagkāmulat sa ating lahat at maging daan sa mas aktibong pakikibahagi sa pagprotekta at pangangalaga sa ating mga yamang pamana,” he said.
The Salesians are also looking toward further public engagement with the historic structure, particularly as they approach 2028, which Fr. Nolasco identified as the 75th year of the Salesians’ presence at the former San Carlos Seminary site. Through the proposed museum, the Salesians hope to keep the history of the convent accessible as a place of learning for young people and other visitors, preserving its legacy across generations.
Photo by Norman Dequina / Radio Veritas
